Drones
Page 9

Coming in all shapes and sizes, from tiny quad-copters to gargantuan solar-powered fixed-wing designs, drones are set to transform our lives in myriad ways. Having already made a huge impact in the military, numerous companies and research teams are exploring the commercial and civilian applications of unmanned aircraft – from autonomous sky-faring taxis to swarms of battlefield-ready flying robots.

Wirth Research has unveiled the design of its tilt-rotor, vertical take off and landing (VTOL) drone. The company claims its UAS will be the first in the world to use lightweight hydrogen fuel cells as its primary energy source, for a combination of long range and zero local emissions.

Fixed-wing drones have their shortcomings, namely the space needed for take off, but a team of Canadian scientists has come up with a potential solution. The drone can land and take off again on water with the potential to stop and charge itself with solar power in between flights.

Commercial delivery drones are already taking flight, but before the system really gets off the ground, there are plenty of big-picture details to sort out. Now, Amazon has outlined plans to pack parachutes into shipping labels, so packages can be safely dropped as the drone buzzes by.

Are trucks or delivery drones better for the environment? A new study has set out to find some answers, and while widespread delivery drones do have the potential to reduce some carbon emissions, the answer isn't exactly clear cut.

Back in January, researchers from Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) outlined plans to fit dragonflies with tiny electronic backpacks, allowing them to be controlled remotely. In a new video, their cyborg dragonflies have taken flight for the first time.

​​Drones could bring benefit to disaster-relief scenarios by serving as temporary communications networks in place of those destroyed by the event. Researchers have now taken a step forward in this area by demonstrating a drone-based cell network that offers coverage kilometers away. ​

This new octocopter design positions the rotors at different angles to allow independent control of thrust in three dimensions, giving the drone the ability to fly in any orientation. To demonstrate the potential of the design, a prototype has shown off its catching ability.

​Chinese company DJI has played a bigger part than anyone in bringing drones to the masses, and it is looking to continue that role with a new easy-to-use aircraft that weighs less than a soda can and launches from the palm of your hand.

To prepare for space exploration, the ESA has been testing techniques and training astronauts in cave systems on Earth. The group's latest tool is a crash-proof drone that could one day help Martian settlers explore lava tubes on the Red Planet by mapping out tight spots humans can't reach.